


Discovery

by Elennare



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-08
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-29 13:03:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3897364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elennare/pseuds/Elennare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fred and George's discovery of the Marauder's Map.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Set during Fred and George's first year. For the 'unidentified object', 'not what it looks like' and 'puzzles' challenges at [](http://fan-flashworks.livejournal.com/profile)[fan_flashworks](http://fan-flashworks.livejournal.com/).

 Fred and George shuffled out of Filch’s office, ginger heads bowed and shoulders hunched, trying very hard to look as despondent as two first-years just awarded a week of detentions should be. As soon as they had rounded the corner, however, they looked at each other with wicked grins, and set off at a run.

They hadn’t discussed where they were going, but they didn’t need to. The little room hidden behind a tapestry on a fifth floor corridor had already become one of their favourite hideouts. As soon as they were safely inside, George turned to his twin.

“Well? What did you get?” he asked eagerly.

Fred pulled his treasure from the pocket of his robes, and they both stared.

“It’s…” George began haltingly, and Fred cut across him.

“It can’t be just an old blank parchment, even Filch isn’t that stupid. Maybe we’re supposed to write on it?” He began hunting through his pockets for a quill, but George stopped him.

“Let’s try something else first, we don’t want to ruin it.”

Fred carefully lowered his last remaining Dungbomb back into his pocket. “Good idea.”

George pulled out his wand. “Apparecium!” he said, poking the parchment, which remained stubbornly blank.

Fred joined in, and the twins used all the spells they had already learnt - by hunting through their brothers’ spellbooks, before they even came to Hogwarts - to reveal hidden things, but to no avail.

“What are you?” Fred finally asked it in frustration, his wand still resting on it. “Why did Filch confiscate you?”

And at last something happened. Words began to appear on the parchment in front of their eyes.

 _Mr Padfoot would like to state that Filch is a nasty, suspicious-minded, interfering git with far more luck than he deserves._  
_Mr Prongs concurs with Mr Padfoot, but would also like to remind him that he is the idiot who got caught._  
 _Mr Moony is staying out of it, and inquires how this is no longer in Filch’s possession._  
 _Mr Wormtail is also staying out of it, and would like to know the rescuer’s name._

Fred and George looked at each other in astonished delight. Once they were sure nothing more was appearing, Fred answered.

“We’re Fred and George Weasley.”

“We took the map from Filch’s Confiscated Objects drawer!” George added. “Who are you?”

New words appeared; large, curly, green writing this time, and placed at the top of the parchment.

 _Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_  
_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

“We’re magical mischief makers!” Fred said, his voice squeaking with excitement. As he spoke, lines flickered over one of the corners, then faded again. “Did you - ”

“I saw it! I bet there’s something we’ve got to say to make it all appear.”

The twin leant over the parchment, identical looks of determination on their faces. It would cost them a week of returned homework which they rushed through so they could go back to experimenting (plus yet another detention that day when they finally realised how late it was and, running back to Gryffindor Tower, collided with a justly irate Professor McGonagall), but by the end of it the secret of the Marauder’s Map was theirs.

**Author's Note:**

> I read JKR has said on Pottermore that the Map was made to insult Snape specifically should he try to read it, but I prefer the idea that it works a bit like the magical portraits which seem to retain something of the essence of their subject. So I'm ignoring the Pottermore canon on that.


End file.
